The sensation of stepping out into the cold is like being shaken by the shoulders, or slapped in the face.
Heat has it own sensation, actually two of them. It can be the feeling of skin and limbs coming back to life, but it can also be like the lead blanket on the torso when getting X-rays at the dentist office.
Rain and snow produce an almost involuntary shrugging of the shoulders and dropping the head, as if being smaller means being harder to hit.
But there’s something particular about the cold, the way it pushes all other thoughts aside, the recoil it creates.
Something else happens during that recoil … a sucking in of air.
And lately, it feels like that’s what the first snap of cold is trying to say.
“Breathe.”
Since we last got together …
I speculated on whether Prince Harry has a secret Twitter account, and who might know it.
Bruce struggles to find some quiet.
Lyz writes about new traditions and letting go of expectations.
Fran has some tips for understanding the British.
Rosie feels like she did pretty well on her word of the year.
Graham learned some things in the hospital.
Renata’s list of her favorite Christmas cover songs includes one inspired decision and one appalling lapse in judgment. (All I’m saying is that if Buble was worried how he’d come across, he could have chosen a different song.)
Speaking of cover songs, this one showed up in my YouTube recommendations. It’s completely overwrought and thoroughly awesome!
Betsy got some funny comments.
Meg rants about beds at work. I will not rant, but I will say that if your company puts in beds at work and expects people to use them, I hope you will be able to find a new company sooner rather than later.
From Mari: “At the end of life, it’s our connections with people that matter most.”
When Mom asks where your blog post is, you write one, like Becky did.
And now, as much of a pain as flying can be (although the airport experience has at least some to do with that), it’s unimaginable to think of a world without airplanes.
If this growth were physical, I’d be 9 feet tall right now.
The full article is behind a paywall at The Athletic, to which I subscribe. But this, by itself, is worth reading.
No clever, pithy or whatever comment here … just read it.
Yup.
She’s right! (If for some reason you can’t, here you go.)
A Silly Place 
Thanks for sharing, Bill ☺️
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I can confirm my mom was very happy with my post!
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Wow, Bill. Your writing at the top is so descriptive, observant, and poignant. Well done! It’s beautiful.
And thank you for the mention. 🙂
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